


Collateral Damage

by GlowingMechanicalHeart



Series: Cassian Appreciation Week [3]
Category: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
Genre: Character Study, Gen, Introspection
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-31
Updated: 2018-07-31
Packaged: 2019-06-19 05:27:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 435
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15503328
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GlowingMechanicalHeart/pseuds/GlowingMechanicalHeart
Summary: His father had been nothing more than collateral damage.





	Collateral Damage

His father had been nothing more than collateral damage.

He had never forgotten the day his father had died. It was supposed to be a peaceful protest against the militarization of the Republic, when out of the blue, a loud ‘bang’ had been heard. He had survived by a miracle, his father did not. And he had hated the Republic then, why shouldn’t he? They had taken away his father and wished to take away the freedom of Fest.

So he fought, throwing rocks, carrying messages, following soldiers and reporting their whereabouts. Things that he could do as a young man. The older he got, the better shot he was, his missions changed and so did he. But he did have one simple rule he had.

No collateral damage. He would not be the reason for needless suffering if he could help it.

When the Empire rose, he continued his fighting. Now dedicated to fight for freedom, he had thought of joining Saw Gerrera, until he found the could not stomach his methods; Saw did not blink at the thought of collateral damage. And so, he joined the Rebellion. He became a spy, one of their best and in time, an assassin.

He did everything he could to help the Rebellion, he respected Mon Mothma for the care she gave for the soldiers that were under her command. She was someone who drew the line at sinking at the actions of the Empire. And when Saw detonated a bomb that took the life of children, she had responded by denouncing his actions; his respect for her had increased. She was a leader he could follow, a voice he could obey the commands she gave.

But even then, he often wondered if he was a hypocrite. He was a killer, a man who did not hesitate to pull the trigger when he was told, and yet, he could not stomach the suffering of innocents. He knew that many of his targets had friends, families even and yet, there was no hesitation on his part.

Some days he would stare at his hands and see nothing but red, the blood of his targets in his hands. Those days were hard and he’s sometimes drink to try and keep the nightmares at bay. Only Kay knew how often he had them, but even in his darkest days, those days where he’d wonder if the fight would someday end, he knew, he had never caused more undue suffering.

No innocent man, woman or child would die because of him. They would not be collateral damage, not on his watch.


End file.
